Animal-trap



(No Model.)

W. C. HOOKER SLKE R. MARKS. ANIMAL TRAP.

10.580.694 A PatentedApr.13,1897.

'Ili Igegors UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

VILLIAM C. HOOKER AND KNOX R. MARKS, OF ABINGDON, ILLINOIS.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SBECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 580,694, dated April13, 1897. Application filed February 15, 1897. Serial No. 623,535. (Nomodel.)

States, residing at Abingdon, in the countyv of Knox and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Animal-Trap, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to animal-traps, one,

of its objects being to so construct the trap that the several partsthereof will lie together in a compact form when the trap is not in use,and will therefore be less liable to injury in handling the trap fortransportation or otherw1se.

W'ith this and other objects in View the invention consists in theseveral details of construction and combination of parts hereinafterfully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the trap set. Fig. 2is a plan View showing the trap sprung. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a view of a detached detail, showing amodification.

Similar reference-nu xnerals indicate similar parts in the severalfigures.

l represents the base, which may be of wood or metal, as preferred. Thejaw is marked 2, and 3 is the spring which actuates the jaw.

4 represents the tripping lever or trigger, pivoted at one end to thebase, and 5 represents the catch which holds the jaw in its set positionand is operated by the trigger 4 to spring the trap. For the purpose ofclearness the end of the base to which the lever 4 is pivoted will bereferred to as the rear end of the trap, and the opposite end of thebase will be referred to as the front end.

.The jaw 2 and spring 3 are formed from a single piece of wire in thefollowing manner: One end of the wire is bent to form an arm 6, having adownwardly-turned end 7, adapted to be secured in the base 1. The wireis then coiled to form the transverse spring 3, and from the end 'of thecoil the wire is bent to form the loop-jaw 2, and the end 8 of the wireis then passed through the coil and its end bent as indicated at 9, thisbent end 9 being left free to move with the jaw as it is turned. Thespring is held to the base by means of staples 10 or other suitabledevices, which engage the part 8 of the wire at opposite ends of thecoil-spring, and the spring is prevented from turning on the base bymeans of the downwardly-turned end 7 of the arm 6 being firmly securedin the base. The trigger or lever 4 is formed from a piece of wire bentabout midway of its length to form a downwardly-extending loop 11, whichloop is arranged immediately under the transverse spring 3, and the base1 is provided with a slot or recess 12 for the reception of the loop ll.

The lever is pivoted at one end to the rear end of the base, preferablyby forming a loop 13 in the wire and extending the end 14 across themain portion of the lever at substantially a right angle and thensecuring the staple 15 into the base in such manner that it willstraddle the two parts of the wire where they cross each other. Thelever may, however, be pivoted to the base in any other suitableinanner, but this forms a very simple way of doing it. The free end ofthe lever carries a bait-holder 16, which preferably oonsists of a plateof either wood or metal provided with an opening 17, into which the baitmay be placed, and the end of the wire is bent around the rear part ofthe plate and over into the opening 17, as clearly shown in thedrawings, thus lirmlyseourng the bait-holder to the lever.

The catch 5 consists, preferably, of a metal plate slidably andpivotally mounted on the trigger 4, between its pivotal connection tothe base and the loop 13, and when the trap is not set this plate willnormally lie flat upon the base 1. The end of the plate adjacent to thepivot of the lever is provided with a notch 18, which notch is adaptedto engage the jaw when in its retracted position and hold it againstthetension of the sping 3.

Instead of using a metal plate for the catch 5 it may be formed from apiece of wire suitably bent, as indicated at 19 in Fig. 4, the essentialrequirements with regard to this catch being that it shall be slidablysupported upon the lever 4 and lie fiat upon the base when the trap isnot in use.

In order to set the trap, the jaw should be pulled over against theforce of the spring and held against the base between the thumb andlingers, when by turning the trap over the catch will turn on the leverand assume a vertical position, and at the same time slide IOO down thelever until the notch 18 engages the jaw, When the trap Will be set. Inthis manner there is no danger of injuring the fingers of the personsetting the trap.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the several parts ofthis trap When not in use lie together in a compact form. Thecatch-plate 5 Will lie flat upon the base, as also Will the bait-holder,this being permitted by reason of the lever t extending beloW thetransverse spring and being formed with a loop Which enters the recessin the base. By means of the sliding catch the trap can be set, even ifthe jaw or other parts are bent very much out of their true shape, whichWould not be the case if the catch was limited in the extent of itsmovement. It is evident, therefore, that the traps can be packedtogether in small compass for transportation, and also that as there areno prominentlyprojecting parts about the trap it is not as liable to beinjured by rough handling as would be the case if the parts projectedaway from the base.

It Will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minordetails vof con struction may be resorted to Without departing from thespirit or sacricing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim isl. In ananimal-trap, the combination With the spring-actuated jaw, and thetrippinglever, of a catch slidably supported on the lever and adapted tolock the jaw in its retracted position, substantially as described.

2. In an animal-trap, the combination with the spring-actuated jaw, andthe trippinglever, of a catch slidably and pivotally supported on thelever, and adapted to lock the j aW in its retracted position, and tolie flat on the base of the trap When the jaw is sprung, substantiallyas described.

3. In an animal-trap, the combination with the base provided with arecess, ot' a jaw, a jaW-actuatin g spring secured transversely on thebase across the recess, a tripping-lever eX- tending longitudinally ofthe base below the spring, and having a looped portion projecting intothe said recess, and a catch adapted to hold the jaw in its retractedposition and to be operated by the lever to release the jaw,substantially as described.

t. In an animal-trap, a base provided With a recess, and a coiled springsecured to the base and extending across the recess, combined with a jawactuated by the spring, a tripping-lever pivoted at one end to the baseand provided at its free end With abait-holder, said lever extendingbeloW the spring and having a looped portion entering the recess belowthe spring, and a catch connected to said lever to hold the jaw in itsretracted position, substantially as described.

5. In an animal-trap, the combination with the spring-actuated jaW andthe trippinglever, of a catch consisting of a metal plate slidably andpivotally supported on the lever and having a notch to engage thespring-actuated jaw, substantially as described.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We have heretoaliXed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM O. HOOKER. KNOX R. MARKS. Witnesses:

J. I-IARTs. MILLER, G. W. SHoor.

